Canadian defensive back Jayden Dalke will be back in the lineup for the Saskatchewan Roughriders when they host the Edmonton Elks on Thursday.
The 27-year-old missed the club’s most recent game due to a back injury and was replaced at safety by former first-round pick Nelson Lokombo. Dalke has returned to his starting spot with Lokombo moving back into a depth role.
Saskatchewan has also made two changes along the offensive line with centre Peter Godber (hand) moving to the one-game injured list and left tackle Jerald Hawkins (quad) likely missing the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. Brandon Council, who started the first two games of the year, will resume the starting role at left tackle, while Logan Bandy will start at centre.
Zack Fry, the team’s second-round pick in the 2022 CFL Draft out of Western University, will dress for his first game of the year in a backup role. American running back Frankie Hickson and Canadian fullback Albert Awachie are returning to the lineup as well.
The clubs met at Commonwealth Stadium during the opening week of the season with the Riders coming out ahead by a score of 17-13. Trevor Harris had a rough outing as he threw for 179 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, though Saskatchewan’s defence helped secure the win with a late-game goal-line stand.
Saskatchewan won the season series against Edmonton last season by a margin of 2-1, though they lost the only meeting at Mosaic Stadium. It was Chris Jones’ first trip back to Regina since leaving the Riders after the 2018 season to take a job with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL.
The Riders (2-1) will host the Edmonton Elks (0-4) on Thursday, July 6 with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT.
